The recent digitisation campaign carried out at Bratislava City Gallery / Galéria mesta Bratislavy (GMB) represents an important step forward for the COLOURS project and its investigation of colour, restoration, and digital heritage.
The case study focuses on a remarkable group of wooden polychrome sculptures originally belonging to the main altar of the Jesuit Church in Bratislava. Created by the sculptor J. A. Eglauer in the first decades of the eighteenth century, the altar was dismantled during the nineteenth century and its elements followed different ownership paths before eventually becoming part of the Bratislava City Gallery / Galéria mesta Bratislavy (GMB) collection.
Today, these sculptures provide an exceptional opportunity to explore how digital technologies can support both conservation research and public engagement.
Within COLOURS, the objects are involved in two complementary pilot activities. The first investigates digital recomposition and restoration simulation, addressing the challenge of reconstructing the original arrangement and appearance of the dispersed altar. The second focuses on the development of an XR experience that will allow visitors to visualise and explore the complete altar configuration and its original appearance for the first time.
The digitisation campaign was carried out by CNR ISPC through photogrammetric acquisition, with the support of GMB. NTNU supervised the colour management workflow throughout the campaign, ensuring colour consistency and quality during the acquisition process.
The resulting digital assets will contribute to future research activities, restoration studies, and innovative forms of public access, demonstrating how digital technologies can help reconnect fragmented heritage and reveal lost aspects of cultural objects.
